She was born June 6, 1938, in Marshfield, the daughter of Clayton and Marion (Dwinell) Burnham.

She attended local schools and graduated from Marshfield High School in 1956.

Prior to her marriage to Gordon Carlson on Sept. 7, 1959, she had worked for National Life Insurance.

Following their marriage, the couple moved to Norfolk, Va., where he was stationed with the U.S. Navy. This was followed by moves to Vallejo, Calif., then Blackfoot, Idaho, and Quincy, Mass., then back to Norfolk until 1965, when they returned to Vermont.

She worked for Crotty Brothers from 1970-1977. She also worked for the Abbey Group at Williamstown High School. In the late ‘90s, she worked for Sodexo, until her retirement in 2000.

She enjoyed reading, and her favorite author was Nora Roberts. She also enjoyed designing and sewing Barbie doll clothes. She created many Barbie doll scenes with the help of her husband for the doll museum in Williamstown.